Firms 'neglecting animal welfare in supply chain'

Food companies are failing to pay sufficient attention to animal welfare in their supply chains, according to a new report.

The first publication from the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBAFW) found little evidence of efforts to improve animal welfare at 42 of the 68 global companies it examined.

It also revealed that the majority of businesses have yet to report on how they are managing farm animal welfare.

"Farm animal welfare is receiving nothing like the attention that other corporate responsibility issues are receiving," said Nicky Amos, the benchmark's programme director.

He added that only 41 per cent of the companies described how their board or senior management oversee their approach to farm animal welfare, while just 26 per cent have published objectives and targets relating to this area.

The BBFAW was officially launched at an event in London this week, where speakers included Mr Amos and chief executive of Compassion in World Farming Philip Lymbery.

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